Car-coupling



A. W. HUGHEY.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 372,979. Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFICE.

ALFRED W. HUGHEY, OF ARCADIA, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,979 dated November8, 1887.

Application filed August 15, 1887. Serial No. 246,969. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. HUGHEY, of Arcadia, in the county ofHamilton and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Oar-Oouplings;and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,which forms part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in car couplings; and it consistsin the combination of the draw-head having a suitable opening throughits top for the passage of couplingpinfand ears or projections betweenwhich to pivot the operatinglever, a spring-actuated slide placed insideof the draw-head, and which has a slotted extension formed upon itsfront end, so as to project beyond the draw-head and thus form a supportupon which to place the coupling-link, a stop which is placed in themouth of the draw-head, so as to limit the outward movement of theslide, the coupling-pin, and the connecting-links, the spring-actuatedlever pivoted upon the draw head, and an operating-rod connected to therear end of the lever, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The objects of my invention are to form an extension upon thespring-actuated slide, so as to make a support for the coupling-link,and to produce an automatic coupling which will prevent all necessityfor men having to go between the cars when they run together for the Ipurpose of coupling them.

The accompanying drawing represents a vertical longitudinal section of acar-coupling embodying my invention.

A represents the draw-head, which will be of any desired construction,and B the slide,

which-is placed therein, and which, when left free to move, is forcedoutward as far as the stop 0 will permit by means of the spring D. Thelower front portion of the slide projects a suitable distance beyond thefront of the coup ling-head when the slide is forced forward by thespring, so as to form a support, E, for the coupling-link F. When theslide is forced backward to its full extent, the outer end of thesupport E strikes against the end of the draw-head A and serves to forma stop to prevent the slide from being moved any farther backward. Thissupport E is as wide as the mouth of the coupling, and hence forms atable V or support upon which the link can be placed and upon which itwill remain while the cars are being coupled. When the upper frontcorner of the slide strikes against the stop after the coupling-pin hasbeen raised upward, the slide forms a support upon which the pin rests.When the slide is forced backward, the pin drops and passes through thelink of the opposing draw-head and the slot in the extension and couplesthe cars together.

Pivoted to the upper end of the couplingpin are the twoconnecting-plates H, which are pivoted at their upper ends to the frontend of the lever I, which is pivoted between the ears J upon the top ofthe head. This lever projects backward and has the spiral spring P tobear upward against its under side for the purpose ofthrowing the frontend down and coupling the cars together. Pivoted to the upper end of theleveris the operating-rod O, by means of which-the lever can be turnedupon its pivot and made to raise the couplingpin whenever desired. Thebrakeman, standing upon the platform of the car, can by depressing thislever uncouple the cars whenever desired, or set. them so that they willcouple when they run together, and that without even having to venturebetween the cars and thus expose himself to danger.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The combination of thedraw-head with the spring-actuated slide having the slotted extensionformed upon its front end to form a support for the link, a stop placedin the mouth of the draw-head, the coupling pin, suitable connections,and the spring-actuated lever connected to the coupling-pin,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- ALFRED WV. HUGHEY.

Witnesses:

ELwooD OLUoKNEE, W. G. PETTIJOHN.

